Though the situation improved over last year, Penticton still ranks in the top 20 of most dangerous cities in Canada — last year we were ranked 16th, dropping to 19th out of 237 this year.
But is there really anything new to say about issues like crime, and the linked issues of homelessness, mental health and drug abuse? We’ve really discussed these problems for long enough and, to be fair, the City of Penticton and other agencies did put a lot of effort into dealing with them over the summer.
It would be a mistake to think these linked problems are ever going to go away, no matter how much effort we put in. They are part of the human condition and have no doubt bedevilled civilization since humans began gathering in communities.
And while it is a chicken and egg guessing game to say which is the root cause, many authorities pin housing as the key issue. Get people into homes, they say, and the related issues can be dealt with by connecting people with services or reducing the likelihood of crimes of opportunity, as opposed to those committed by career criminals.
If this is the case, why does it take so very long to get housing solutions in place? A deal to develop low to moderate income housing on Brunswick Street was signed in 2015 with B.C. Housing, but we’re still waiting for that to open. The conversion of the former Super 8 motel to social housing began last year, and while it did open with some emergency housing last year, work is still ongoing for that project.
And lack of affordable housing is a pressure felt by more than just those without jobs living on the streets. If this is such a key issue, then all levels of government need to focus on creating the conditions for affordable housing at all levels of society, making it worthwhile for developers to participate in these projects.